A ‘Touched By an Angel’ story
© 2000, Not Intended to infringe on any previously held copyrights.
It’s hard, so hard, thought twelve year old Yvonne as she closed the door to her bedroom. If I have to stay in here for the rest of my life I will, but I don’t ever want go back out into the living room as long as he is there. She leaned up against the door to her room, and could hear the loud plodding footsteps of her mother’s boyfriend going down the hall. It was almost as though he owned the place, she thought sadly, but often she asked herself if in fact he did. She had tried to talk to her mother about how awkward this man made her feel, but her mother seemed only concerned with her own troubles rather than to pay any attention to what had been going on with her young daughter.
As Yvonne turned back around, she could feel the tears beginning to brim from underneath her eyes. God, why does it have to be so hard, she thought to herself, the tears freely falling from beneath her eyelids. Hell does exist, she thought, it must, because it’s right here and now.
She had started middle school earlier that year, now as she looked outside the window, she could see the autumn leaves falling from the trees and dancing against her window. She stretched her hand out towards the glass, her fingertips touching the cold surface. It had been about three weeks since school started, and she hated it already. After only three weeks. That did not seem possible, but she had started to lose hope when she was tripped the first time in the cafeteria, or when mean spirited boys had slammed her knuckles into her locker door. She could not determine what was worse, having to dress out for gym class, or actually having to take part in physical activity, which gave the other kids enough ammunition to chastise her.
On top of this, she was living a nightmare at home. As soon as she turned to check the door to make sure it was firmly shut behind her, she went over to the radio and turned it on, the soft swells of music somehow encompassing her deeply embedded misery. She could see the mirror behind her, it was reflecting her face; sunken in, frail, the weeping she had done leaving red marks and splotches along the contours of her face. “You’re disgusting and ugly,” she muttered under her breath at her reflection, and part of her simply wanted to just throw a rock against the smooth surface of the mirror, shattering it and leaving only fragments of it behind.
As the music continued to drift through the room, the plodding footsteps of her mother’s friend receded and she sighed with relief when she could no longer hear the sounds that reminded her of the pain she must endure. A childhood lost, without friends, her spirit struggling to understand, but in her heart an emptiness dwelling only leaving a fragile shell in its wake.
“Tess, I’m telling you, this is what happened,” Andrew began to speak as soon as he closed the door to his office and began to walk down the empty hall with his friend and superior angel. The final bell had announced the end of the day, and although it did not take long for the school to empty out, there remained only small numbers of kids. There were athletes in sports training, some singers in the choir, and then a large clump of kids who had detention.
Whatever the case, these kids were still trampling through the halls of Kilgore Middle School as though they were an army, their footsteps resonating through the halls, the tiles practically shaking with the force exerted upon them. Andrew figured that Tess would be here, as one of the choir directors had become unexpectedly ill and their assignment had brought them to this school. At the very least, Tess was in good spirits, and she knew, as well as her angel boy and girl, that working with the choir could be a good cover-up for their intended assignment.
“Listen, Angel Boy, I believe you, but I also know through experience that kids can sometimes be very cruel to each other, and I have seen it happen,” Tess replied. “At any rate, your assignment is a girl named Yvonne Hudson. She’s in your fourth period history class, has sandy blonde hair, brown eyes. That is if you can see her eyes, she seems to look at the ground all the time when she walks.”
“I suppose she’s the same person I saw tripped at lunch today, then. She is as you described, and she sits in the third row during my fourth period class,” Andrew began. “I just couldn’t believe that I had seen a boy trip a girl in the cafeteria. I thought the kids went beyond this cruelty.”
“I know, Angel Boy,” Tess said gently. “I also heard that the girl had gotten off the floor, and ran towards the restroom completely in tears. Monica has already told me, as she had seen the incident as well. Now, I have to get going, the choir rehearsal starts in a few minutes, and if I don’t get there, Miss Wings will start without me and you know as well as I about Monica’s lack of musical talent.”
Andrew smiled when he thought about his friend, Monica. She was a lot of things; kind, loving friendly, but she certainly was not gifted in the area of music like Tess was. He was still smiling when Tess walked away and he was left immersed in his contemplations.
“Excuse me,” a small voice entered his thoughts about five minutes later and he turned around. There standing next to him was one of his students, and more than that, it was his assignment. The young girl stood uncomfortably next him, her stance indicating her fear of having interrupted him from something that could have been considered important. She seemed to be rocking from one foot to the other completely nervous in his presence.
“Hello Yvonne, what can I do for you?” he asked gently trying to make her relax.
“Iuh, I sort of left my notebook in your classroom when I went to lunch and I need it so I can do my homework tonight,” she stammered.
“It’s no trouble, I was just going back there to get something I had forgotten,” he said smiling down at her. He could see that aside from being very shy, her hair was disheveled, her clothing wrinkled, and her eyes constantly on the ground. Tess had been right; the girl probably believed somehow that she was beneath everyone. Andrew crouched down somewhat so he could see her face, his good-natured smile showing his love and understanding for the miserable girl.
After some moments of hesitation, she glanced up and could see him trying rather unsuccessfully at making eye contact with her. She smiled timidly and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry,” she managed to utter.
“No need to be sorry,” he began. “I saw what happened to you in the cafeteria, are you OK?” he said compassion in his voice as they started walking towards the classroom.
“I’m fine,” she said softly.
“Are you really?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?” she said simply.
“I don’t know. It just seemed to me that you needed to talk about something. I mean, I do understand, and I also realize that it is not so easy being in middle school, is it?” he asked.
She said nothing, but kept sneaking looks at him. He seemed different. Unlike the other teachers, he immediately introduced himself informally as simply ‘Andrew’ and told them that he was not used to formalities and that they would speak on a first name basis. Most of the teachers she had were ‘Mrs. So-and-So’ or ‘Mr. What’s His Name’. She knew that Andrew had only started teaching this class that very day and that he was new to the school. It amazed her that he actually remembered her name, and that when he spoke to her, it gave her the instant impression that he understood and cared for her. Both feelings were rather alien to her, and she was not sure she was ready to offer friendship to someone in his position. Maybe in a few days, she would know for sure, but right now, she was still afraid.
As they reached the classroom, Andrew removed the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. They walked inside the room, and he retrieved a notebook from his desk. Yvonne walked over to a second desk not far from his, and reached down to pick up the papers she had accidentally left on the floor. She glanced up at him, “Would it be OK if I sat here for a few minutes and organize my stuff? All my papers got a little scattered and I need to resort them.”
“I see no trouble with that if you don’t mind that I’m still here,” he said smiling gently. “I still have to grade some quizzes from another class and probably won’t be able to leave for another hour or so,” he paused smiling warmly, “besides that, I think it’s nice to have a little company.”
Yvonne smiled weakly, nodded, and opened the small notebook.
-*-*-*-
Ten minutes later, Andrew looked up from his work and could see that Yvonne had fallen asleep in her seat. He had half expected her to be finishing with her organizing, but when he heard a soft sigh emerging from between her lips, he glanced up to see that she had fallen asleep, her arms draped across the desk.
“You’ve got your work cut out for you on this one, don’t you Andrew?” a voice emerged and he looked up and could see Monica standing next to him.
“I would guess so,” he whispered. “She’s very fragile, isn’t she?”
“A child shouldn’t have to live with the nightmares that Yvonne must endure on a daily basis,” was all the second angel said. “You know she’s got ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’, don’t you? Tess told me to tell you this, so you can go easy on her if she falls asleep in class.”
Andrew nodded and sighed deeply as he walked over to where Monica stood. “I guessed she did, but that’s not the problem. I don’t even know how to start getting her to talk about what she’s been through. It’s only my first day here, and yet I feel a strong sense of responsibility for her.”
“All you can do is be there for her,” Monica said softly and smiled encouragingly. “She’ll eventually realize the extent of how much you care for her.”
Andrew nodded as he took off the jacket he had been wearing and wadded it up in an effort to make a small pillow out of it for Yvonne. Monica followed him over to the desk where the girl slept. When he reached her, he gently removed the open notebook she was resting on and the two of them replaced it with the soft jacket. As she felt herself being shifted, Yvonne opened her eyes, and glanced up. “W-what happened?”
“You fell asleep,” Andrew said gently.
“I did? Again?” Yvonne looked frightened and it was obvious that her ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’ had yet to be diagnosed.
“What is it?” Monica asked gently.
“I’m scared, I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said softly. “This is the third time this week that I’ve had this happen and I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Have you spoken to your parents about it?” Andrew asked trying not to let on that he knew what was wrong with her, but at the same time trying to help her find some sort of resolution in everything.
“I can’t talk to my parents, my father doesn’t live with us anymore, and my mother doesn’t have time for me,” Yvonne said, her voice emerging with some traces of bitterness.
“They should make time. After all, you are their daughter,” Andrew said and paused before he continued. “I take it you haven’t seen a doctor before about this either.”
Yvonne shook her head.
“If you could, would you?” Monica asked.
“Yeah, I probably would,” Yvonne said. “I hate living with this kind of uncertainty.”
Monica nodded, as she was about to take her leave. “I will see what I can do for you,” she said and offered the young girl an encouraging smile. “Oh well, I guess I’d better get back to the rehearsal, or Tess will send out the search party. She said we should both meet at the choir room at 4, so I guess I’ll see you then, Andrew.”
He nodded as Monica left the room. When he looked down at Yvonne, he could see that she had started to rub the drowsiness out of her eyes.
“I suppose I should get home,” she whispered more to herself than to him.
“Did you get everything done that you needed to do?” he asked gently.
“I think so,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She put her hands on the top of the desk to push herself off the seat. Her hand brushed against his jacket and she looked down at it. After a few moments, she glanced up and spoke, “Andrew?”
“Yes?”
She casually hung his jacket over her arm and carried it back over to him. “Thank you,” she paused before she continued to speak softly. “People usually aren’t as kind to me as you have been.”
“Why do you say that, Yvonne?” he asked trying to keep his voice steady, but also keeping it soft.
“Because it’s the truth. I know you saw what happened in the cafeteria today, what those other kids did to me. I saw you standing there and you were looking at me. I can’t describe how it made me feel, worried, afraid, ashamed,” she began feeling the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks and she wiped the back of her hand over her face thus smearing them away.
“It made me sad to see you treated this way,” he said gently.
“I guess initially, I thought maybe you would have been disgusted with me. I mean, most people wouldn’t waste their time with someone like me. I’m fat and ugly. Even the other kids asked me why I wasn’t pretty like my sisters, or athletic like my cousin.” She wiped her hands down the front of her clothing as soon as she had returned the jacket to him. After a pause, she shrugged her shoulders unable to continue.
“God would never consider you to be a waste of time, Yvonne, and for what it’s worth, neither would I,” he said gently reaching over and resting his hand on her shoulder.
Yvonne looked up at him with a mixture of unexpressed pain and hurt in her eyes. “Perhaps, but neither you nor Him could possibly protect me from what I have been through. And even if you did, it would just make everything worse. Besides, how can I burden Him or you with my problems? My mother says that I should be ashamed to even speak of myself or my problems to others and she even said that if I did, and she found out about it, I’d be in deep trouble.”
“God waits for you, Yvonne, all you have to do is talk to him,” Andrew offered.
Yvonne smiled weakly, but shook her head not willing to believe in the words of the angel. She walked out of the room leaving all of her schoolbooks behind.
Andrew took this as a negative sign and followed her out into the hallway. “Yvonne, wait a minute, you forgot your books.”
The forlorn girl stopped and turned around. Once she had, he could see the tears in her eyes and it was clear to him that the books were the least of her concerns.
“I’ll take care of them for you,” he began. “But, I want you to know that if you need me for anything no matter what it is, all you have to do is come see me. I’ll do whatever I can for you, I think you know that,” he said gently.
“I wish I could believe that,” she whispered. “The only thing I can do now is to not begin to believe. The way my life is, it’s too dangerous, and I might end up getting hurt again.” She walked slowly away and Andrew took a step forward wanting to follow her, but he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that Tess was had appeared from out of nowhere and was standing next to him.
“Don’t press her, Angel Boy, in due time, she’ll talk to you,“ she said confidently.
“Do you think so?” he asked sadly. “I mean you heard her, right?” Once Tess nodded, he spoke again. “She doesn’t even believe she’s worth God’s love.”
“You will show her otherwise.”
Andrew nodded, but all he could do was watch Yvonne as she continued down the hallway and after some moments had passed, she disappeared around a corner.
-*-*-*-
Yvonne walked slowly outside, the autumn sunshine beating down on her. She lived only a few blocks from the school, and she used this time alone to think. She stretched out on the grassy meadow of the small park which happened to be situated near the duplex where she lived with her two sisters, mother, and her mother’s friend, Rick. Today, for some reason, the park didn’t offer her the solitude she really needed.
Glancing up, she could see some of the neighborhood kids beginning to play baseball. Old shirts and jeans were used as their bases, and she could hear their laughter in the distance. She looked down at her clothing, used stuff that had once belonged to her sister, all of it out of date. In some cases, I’m just a normal kid, in others, I’m considered a nothing, she thought to herself. As long as it fits, what does it matter if I look like an idiot? What does it matter if I belong?
“Hey Baby, why the long face?”
She looked up and saw a heavyset woman standing next to where she was sprawled out on the grass. “Do you mind if I join you?” the woman asked. Once Yvonne shook her head, the woman sat down. “My name’s Tess, what’s yours?”
“Yvonne,” came the soft answer.
“Nice day, isn’t it?” Tess asked.
“I guess, I really didn’t notice it,” she replied and looked over at the woman. Like Andrew, she had an openness in her expression that she couldn’t describe, but at the same time, Yvonne felt intimidated by the woman’s presence, and after a few awkward seconds, she stood up and began to wipe her hands down the front of her skirt.
“Going so soon?” Tess asked.
“I’m sorry, but I have to get home, or my mother will get mad at me,” Yvonne said softly. “I hope that doesn’t offend you, I wouldn’t want you to think I am leaving because of you.”
“Of course it doesn’t, I understand. You take care, Yvonne and I’ll see you around,” Tess replied smiling. “I’ve been teaching choir at your school, your history teacher’s a friend of mine.”
Yvonne relaxed somewhat. “Which one? The new one?”
“Yes, Andrew, he started today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like him?” Tess asked.
“I guess, he’s pretty cool,” Yvonne said. “But it’s weird to call him by his first name. My mother always said that I should only call adults by their first names when it is requested of me. If I use first names, then she thinks it’s rude.”
“From what I know of Andrew, he did request this, did he not?”
“I guess so, but it’s still weird for me,” she paused. “Oh well, it was nice meeting you. I guess I will see you around sometime.” Yvonne stood up and walked slowly towards the row of buildings situated on the opposite side of the park. Tess was left alone, her thoughts on the young girl.
“Father, give her some hope, please,” Tess prayed. “At least until she begins to acknowledge your presence in her life.”
-*-*-*-
Yvonne approached the front door to the house some ten minutes later. Her mother’s boyfriend, Rick, was standing in the living room waiting when she came inside. “Where have you been?” he demanded, his voice not hiding the traces of anger. “Your mother just called ten minutes ago. You were supposed to clean the bathroom, if I am not mistaken.”
“I’m sorry, I had to stay late and do my homework,” she offered weakly.
“Why didn’t you tell your mother this before you left for school this morning?”
“I didn’t know I would be staying late,” she said, her eyes constantly on the ground.
As she started to walk in the direction of the bathroom to begin her chores, Rick stepped in between her and the intended path and grasped her arm in his, his gleaming gray eyes baring down into her brown ones. She knew what was coming, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Would this nightmare ever end?
Thirty minutes later, Yvonne crawled into the shower, her vision blurred by her tears, her strength wavering. She reached for the bar of soap and wiped it over her body. As she rinsed the scent of her mother’s boyfriend away, she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, her hands covering her face, as she began to cry.
After some moments underneath the shower, she turned the water off, and reached for a towel. Once she had wrapped herself in her terry robe, she left the bathroom and went immediately into her room. As soon as the door was closed, she propped a chair underneath the knob hoping that if Rick did come back, it would deter him. As she did, she turned on the radio and listened as Collin Raye’s voice, the voice of her favorite singer, offered her some sort of comfort in the shame she felt deep inside. As she heard the words to the song, ‘The Eleventh Commandment’ resonating through the room, she covered her face with her hands, fell on the bed, and began to weep bitterly.
Two feet from where she was lying, Andrew had appeared and was standing in her room watching her. His eyes filled with tears as he watched the young girl spill out her agony in the words of a song. He wanted to go and take her in his arms and hold her. He wanted to tell her that God would take care of her, that He would not allow anyone to hurt her. He knew he couldn’t do this, not just yet, but he also knew that she needed someone to help take away the extent of her misery.
Unbeknownst to her, he continued to watch as she reached for her stuffed teddy bear and held it tightly against her chest, the tears continuing to fall from her eyes. “I’m so ugly…” she whispered. “I’m not worthy of anything, not anything at all…”
Andrew closed his eyes briefly, his concern evident in his prayer. “Father, let me go to her, please.” His soft whisper was etched with the sadness he felt for the young girl. When the affirmative answer came back, Andrew smiled and walked over to the weeping girl, allowing himself to become visible only to her.
“Yvonne,” he whispered.
The girl continued to weep until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. After a few deep breaths, she finally glanced up, her eyes red and puffy from her tears. When she finally managed to wipe the moistness from her eyes, she could see him towering over her. This frightened her and she backed away from him, her movements breaking the contact he had initiated with her.
“It’s OK, Yvonne, don’t be afraid,” he said softly. “I’m here for you,” then thinking better of those words, the Angel of Death smiled gently down at her. “You’re not alone anymore. I’m here to help you get through all of this.”
For an instant, he could tell that she was afraid, but then her voice emerged through her pain. “Andrew, but how? I don’t understand.” It was plain to see that she was relieved that it was him and not her mother or Rick.
“Something’s are not meant to be understood, they are meant simply to be accepted and embraced,” he said softly.
“I’m afraid,” she whimpered as she sat up.
Without saying anything, he sat down next to her.
She glanced over towards the door to her room, the chair was still under the knob, and she shook her head still unable to understand how it was that he was sitting next to her. She reached over towards him and when she felt his shoulder under her hand, she gasped, pulling her hand suddenly away. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”
“No, Yvonne, it’s not.”
“W-who are you and how did you get in here?” she asked softly noticing that he had started to radiate some sort of whitish light. He suddenly changed and she could tell that he was now dressed much differently, more extravagantly than he had been when she had seen him at the school. Gone were his jeans and sweater and now he was dressed in an off-white shirt and pants; a darker beige jacket completed his look. Seeing this, she backed up against the wall her hands beginning to tremble, her eyes wide. “Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded with him.
“I would never hurt you,” he began, his voice soft. “I’m an angel, and you have nothing to fear, Yvonne. God sent me.”
“H-h-he did? I-I mean, you are?” She asked, but could still see the halo of light around him.
“Uh-huh,” he smiled weakly as the light began to fade. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. I’m here to help you.” He leaned towards her and took her hand gently in his own. Once he held her hand, he pulled her gently out of the corner she had wedged herself into and once she was close enough to him, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly in his embrace.
As he held her, he could feel the tears falling from her eyes and landing on his shoulder. Her weeping started soft, and then it rose in intensity until Andrew spoke, encouraging her to get those painful feelings out. “That’s it, Yvonne. It’s OK, just let it out.”
Feeling his arms around her, she allowed herself to cry, and once her weeping had faded, she could feel herself falling asleep once again. This time, she slept cradled securely in his arms.
After some time, Andrew shook her slightly and she looked up at him. “Andrew, I guess you saw what happened to me?” She looked down at her lap as she continued, “I mean, with Rick?”
Andrew nodded compassionately, his eyes filled with sadness. “Yes, I did.”
Yvonne sat up on the bed and covered her face with her hands as fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Can you help me? I feel so ashamed, so ugly and insignificant.”
“You have no reason to feel shame, Yvonne,” he said gently. “You are neither ugly nor insignificant, but you are a victim of a crime, something which you are absolutely not accountable or responsible for.”
“But why must this happen to me?” She cried. “I told my mother about it, and she didn’t believe me. Andrew, why didn’t she believe me?”
“I wish I knew the answer, but I don’t,” he whispered. “Yvonne, you must never believe that you’re without worth, because God loves you, and he will help you, if you seek Him out.”
“I’m scared…I’m so scared…” her voice trailed off and her hopeless eyes sought his.
“I know you are. Your burdens are far more difficult than that of most adults,” he said. “You should have the right to speak of this without being afraid or feeling ashamed. You have done nothing wrong, and God does love you, Yvonne, you are His child.”
She shook her head, but before she could say anything, they could both hear someone banging on her door. “Quit talking to yourself and open this door right now, Yvonne, I will not have you shutting yourself off from the rest of us!”
She looked at Andrew, fear in her eyes. After some moments, he spoke to her, his voice gentle. “Go ahead and open the door, I’ll be here, but your mother won’t be able to see me,” he said gently, but when she hesitated, he spoke again. “It’s OK, Yvonne, I’ll still be here. I’m not going anywhere.” Upon hearing his reassurances, she walked towards the door and opened it slowly. Once she saw her mother on the other side, she knew she was in trouble.
“I want to talk to you,” her mother’s angry sounding voice emerged and she wiped her hands over her face trying to conceal the fact that she had been crying.
Yvonne swallowed and turned back towards Andrew hoping he wouldn’t believe the accusations her mother was about to start throwing at her.
“I want an answer and I want it now, Young Lady,” Frieda Hudson said, and there was no denying the woman was angry. She stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips and fire practically shooting out of her eyes.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Yvonne muttered.
“Rick said that you didn’t clean the bathroom as you were supposed to have done. I want to hear your reason as to why. You know that since I went back to work that you and your sisters have to pull your weight around the house. Melissa and Connie have done that, and I want to know why you insist on not doing your share. If you persist on behaving this way, I will contact your principal and have you taken off of the newspaper staff.”
“I was late because I had homework to do at school,” Yvonne stammered. “I’m sorry, Mom, I’ll do the bathroom right now, just please don’t take me off the staff, it’s the only fun I have at school.” She looked briefly back over at Andrew, her eyes shadowed with guilt. When he nodded at her and offered her an encouraging smile, she turned back to face her mother and slowly walked out of her room and into the bathroom.
She was happily surprised when Andrew followed her. As soon as she was inside the bathroom, she grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. “Sometimes, I wish I was dead,” she said softly.
“Oh no, Yvonne, don’t ever wish that, your life is a precious gift,” Andrew said gently resting his hand on her shoulder.
“Then this gift should at least have a return policy on it, because I want to take it back,” she said softly as she sat down on the floor. Her contact with him broken, she reached for a container filled with cleaning agents. She raised the lid of the toilet and began to pour the chemicals into it. Ignoring his presence, she grabbed the brush and began to diligently scrub the toilet.
Andrew could only stand there in surprise at hearing her words. After a few moments of silence, he was left to conclude that Yvonne did not want him there, and so he disappeared.
When Yvonne turned around some moments later and noticed that he was gone, she sighed deeply. I guess I’ll never see him again, she thought sadly to herself; I’m not even worth the love of an angel. She continued to scrub the toilet, all the while, the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.
-*-*-*-
“You shouldn’t have left her alone, Angel Boy,” Tess scolded Andrew as soon as she had witnessed what had transpired with Yvonne. The three angels had met back at the school. Tess was as close to being angry as one could be. “She needs you now more than ever, and you just left her hanging. How could you have done that? I thought you knew better.”
Andrew looked at Tess somewhat shamefaced, “what should I have done, Tess?”
The two of them were standing in the classroom where Andrew taught History. Monica had found a piece of chalk and had started to draw on the board. “Anything, but not leave her when you are needed.”
“It’s hurts me to see her in so much pain,” Andrew said softly. “She feels unworthy of love, and it does not seem to matter from where it comes. Tess, it’s such a horrible situation.”
“It’s worse than that, Andrew, now she feels as though she is unworthy of the love of an angel,” Tess said sternly. “It’s going to be hard for you to regain her trust after all of this.”
Andrew sat down at the desk and looked at her, “sometimes I think the other assignments I’ve had, have been easier. For people to leave their physical body seems rather insignificant in comparison to this. Yvonne somehow encompasses someone who has lost her own spirit because it has been killed by the actions of others.” He shook his head, his eyes filling with tears.
“I’m sorry, Baby, but you had to know the truth,” Tess said softly. “I know why you were given this assignment. If anyone can revive that child’s spirit, it would be you. The Father knows this and now you know, you must believe it.”
“But, Tess, wouldn’t it have been better if someone else like Monica had this assignment?” Andrew asked softly.
“The Father said it’s yours and you have to do as He said,” Tess said sternly as Monica turned from the blackboard.
“Where’s your sense of adventure, Andrew?” Monica asked with a smile. “You should not underestimate the impact you have on others.”
“She’s right,” Tess said gently.
As he contemplated the words of his friends, Andrew became certain of what it was he would have to do. When he would see Yvonne in school the following day, he would reaffirm his willingness to help her, and no matter what happened, he would not make the same mistake twice.
Andrew was anxious the following day when his fourth period history class filed into the large room. He was standing at his desk when the tardy bell sounded, and when he looked at the place that Yvonne usually occupied. He sighed deeply when the realization hit him that it was empty. “Does anyone know where Yvonne is?” he finally asked the class.
“No, but I heard she was asleep in the girls’ toilet,” one boy said and the other kids began to snicker.
“That’s not funny,” he said sternly and the giggles died down.
At that moment, Tess came into the classroom. “Andrew, I’ll take it from here, you’re needed in the library.”
“OK,” he nodded and handed a piece of chalk to the other angel and left the room quickly. It was strange that Tess would interrupt him during an assignment, but it occurred to him that somehow she knew more than he did in this regard, and that it was imperative for him to hurry. Quickening his pace, he practically broke into a run in order to get the library.
As soon as he got to the door leading inside, he entered the large room and saw a rather agitated librarian standing near the door. “What are you doing here? I sent Tess for the school nurse.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Andrew asked ignoring the woman’s questions.
“That child over there, she’s asleep on one of the desks, and when I tried to revive her, she wouldn’t wake up,” the librarian said. “Do you know her?”
“Yes, her name’s Yvonne, she’s one of the students in my history class,” Andrew said softly. “Let me see if I can get her to wake up.”
“Good luck, but I’ve already tried, and it looks pretty hopeless. I mean it looks like she’s in a coma or something,” the librarian said weakly not believing that Andrew possessed the capabilities of waking Yvonne. “When the school nurse gets here, I’ll send her over.”
“Thank you,” Andrew replied and walked over to the table where the girl slept. He reached down and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “Yvonne, come on honey, wake up,” he whispered and when he felt the girl’s hand squeeze his, he knew that she would soon wake up.
Within seconds after he applied some more pressure on her hand, and she sighed deeply as she slowly opened her eyes. When she managed to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she looked over at him. When she realized who it was seated next to her, she pulled her hand away and stared down at the tabletop unsure of what to say.
“Are you OK?” he asked her.
She nodded, unable to find the appropriate words to say to him. Her face depicted how hurt and abandoned she felt. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but wiped her hand stubbornly over her face, washing them away. It was obvious to Andrew that he had hurt her deeper than he had intended.
“I wanted to apologize to you for what happened yesterday,” he began. “I should never have left you alone. It was never my intent to hurt you.”
She shrugged her shoulders, but could not bring herself to speak to him.
“I know you’re hurt by my actions, I can tell by looking at you,” he said gently.
She nodded numbly.
“It was never my intent, Yvonne. It won’t happen again,” he said softly. “Will you forgive me?”
“B-but you’re an angel…” she mumbled.
“Yes, that is true, but I am capable of making mistakes just as you are. There exists only one perfect being in the universe, and that’s God,” he smiled. “Will you forgive me, Yvonne?”
She nodded, and he could tell that the words were stuck in her throat.
By this time, the nurse had arrived and could see that Yvonne was awake and she looked at the librarian somewhat perturbed. “Asleep huh?”
The librarian was taken aback, “Miss Freely, the child was asleep and I tried everything I could to wake her.”
Andrew nodded, “it’s true. I believe if you want to know the proper term for what she’s got, it’s called ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’.” Upon hearing his words, Yvonne looked at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. “However, from what I understand about this condition, it’s not dangerous, but it can be rather annoying when not properly diagnosed,” he continued.
“I thought you were a History teacher,” the nurse complained. “From the way you speak, it sounds like you decided to go on sabbatical and attend Medical School.” With that the woman stalked away leaving Yvonne, Andrew, and the librarian alone. As it became clear to the librarian that there was no longer appeared to be an emergency, she quickly excused herself and walked back over towards the check out counter. Andrew and Yvonne were left alone.
“Do you want to go back to class now? Or would you rather sit here for a few minutes?”
“If I had a choice, I’d never go back at all,” she whispered.
“You can’t run away from your life, you know?” he offered.
“That’s easy for you to say, you have it made, I don’t,” she whispered. “I’m just a pathetic kid with more problems than all the patients at the ‘Betty Ford Clinic’.”
“You’re not pathetic, but you are hurting, and I share your pain, Yvonne,” his sad eyes met hers. “Believe me, please, I speak only the truth.”
When Yvonne looked up and saw him, she could see the pain in his eyes. It felt almost as though she was looking at her own reflection in a mirror. After a couple of seconds, she looked down at the table once again. “I shouldn’t have said that to you. I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s not fair of me to say hurtful things to you, I know you’re only trying to help. It just feels really hopeless right now.”
“I understand,” he said gently and he could not get over the fact that this girl would rather make him feel better than to allow someone to help her feel better. This assignment is getting harder and harder, he thought to himself. “I suppose we do need to get back. It’d be a shame if I had to teach your peers about the Civil War without you being there. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
As she looked in the earnest eyes of the angel, she stood up. “I’ll come, but only if you promise not to abandon me if I say something stupid. I know I need you here with me. I’m frightened, but at least when you’re nearby, I don’t feel so alone.”
“I won’t leave you,” he promised her and together they left the library. “If you ever need me, just call out to me, and I’ll be there for you.”
-*-*-*-
That afternoon after school let out for the day, Yvonne was walking down the hall. “Hey, look, it’s Yvonne the walking dead. Is that a girl or a zombie?”
A number of the boys started laughing. “You know she snores?” one girl asked the group. “I heard she fell asleep in her pudding yesterday at lunch.”
The other kids started to laugh, “I heard she was crashed in the library this afternoon, and then she was revived by the History teacher. Hahaha, what a Prince Charming that guy is, huh?”
“Hey, he’s not too bad looking,” a second girl chimed. “In fact, I think he’s kind of cute. But, what would he see in her; she’s a dog!”
Yvonne’s face flushed with pain as she quickened her pace, and tried desperately to put as much distance between herself and those kids as she could. When she reached the other end of the hall, she was wiping the tears out of her eyes. What she didn’t see was Tess had cornered the group of kids at the other end of the hall and she had started laying into them, as only she knew how.
“You kids ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” she said. “Do you also make fun of people who have to wear glasses or braces?”
“Uh, no Ma’am,” one of the boys said.
“Then why do you make fun of someone with a sleeping disorder?” Tess asked. “I ought to give each and every one of you a detention for this, but I am well aware of what would happen. You’d get into trouble at home and then come back to school and look for something else to chastise that child about. Go home now and I challenge each and every one of you to try and find something good to say about each other for a change.”
The girl who had called Yvonne a dog, looked ashamed and it appeared almost as though she had been slapped in the face. She turned and ran from the group, her embarrassment evident. Two of the boys walked slowly away, both shaking their heads.
One girl remained standing, however, and after a few moments, she looked up at Tess. “I’m sorry,” she said and her blue eyes were filled with sadness as to what she had said. “I’m not usually like that.”
“Don’t apologize to me, Honey. If you want to make things right, go apologize to Yvonne,” Tess said. “After all, she’s the one you hurt.”
“Do you think she’ll forgive me?” the girl asked.
“I don’t know, maybe,” came the answer.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure you can,” Tess replied.
“What does she have that makes her sleep like that?” the girl asked. “I guess if it was me, I’d be kind of scared.”
“It’s called ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’, it’s not fatal, but it does make a person fall asleep at any time; and Yvonne, doesn’t have the support she needs to get to a doctor to get it properly diagnosed,” Tess said.
“What about her parents?”
“Well, you see, her parents are divorced, and her mother isn’t as attentive to her needs as she should be,” Tess tried to explain the situation as diplomatically as she could. “What she needs are friends, people who will stand by her and help her through all the painful things she must face.”
“Maybe it would help if I talked to my dad? He’s a doctor, maybe he can help her,” the girl offered.
“What’s your name?” Tess asked.
“Danielle Jensen.”
“Danielle, I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Tess replied and smiled down at the girl.
-*-*-*-
Yvonne came outside of the school building at this time, and she could see the other kids getting on the busses to go home. It was a relief to her that she didn’t have to ride one. She had done this when she was younger and she could not forget the bully that would beat her up on a daily basis simply for speaking her mind. She was relieved when the busses began to drive away.
She looked around the schoolyard, and finally sat down on a bench. I wish I had a friend, she thought to herself. I wish I could understand why people are so cruel.
“Yvonne?” She heard a small voice and could see Tess standing some three feet from where she was sitting. In front of her stood Danielle Jensen, one of the girls who had teased her before she had come outside.
“What do you want?” She asked.
“I want to apologize to you,” Danielle said nervously as Tess walked slowly away from the two girls. From a safe distance, she watched as the two conversed. Moments later, Andrew and Monica appeared and began to watch as well. They were invisible, but the voices of the two girls could be heard.
“Why?” Yvonne asked, not sure she wanted to trust Danielle.
“The lady from the choir told me about what she thinks might be wrong with you, you know this ‘Chronic Fatigue’ thing? I didn’t really know that such a thing existed. My dad’s a doctor, but he never talks about diseases and stuff at the dinner table,” Danielle said smiling weakly.
“Why do you tease people who are different than you?”
“Look, it was stupid of me to do that to you,” Danielle began. “I want to be your friend. I know I’m probably not deserving of it, but I want to try.”
“I’m not worth it,” Yvonne said.
“Says who?” Danielle challenged.
Yvonne looked at the other girl. “The others.”
“Oh, geez, who cares about them? I know all the gossip about them anyway. Did you know that Billy only does that to you because he thinks you’re cute, and he’s trying to act like a macho? Then there’s Teresa, she has a sister with Bulimia. Do you know what that is?”
“No.”
“It’s an eating disorder, they commonly call it binging and purging. Yuck, sounds absolutely horrid, but my dad told me about it. He’s been treating her and even had to recommend a psychologist to Teresa because she’s heading down the same road,” Danielle said. “Don’t tell anyone I told you, I just happened to overhear it.”
“What’s the point of all this?” Yvonne asked.
“The point is, we’ve all got problems, some are bigger than others, but they’re still there, and we just have to find the strength to deal with ‘em,” Danielle said. “Listen, I’ll talk to my dad, if you want to get this sleeping thing licked, I’ll insist that he help you, OK?”
“You’d do that for me?” Yvonne asked.
“Sure, and next time you say you’re not worth it, I’ll remind you of this conversation.”
Yvonne smiled weakly. “Danielle, do you believe in God?”
“Yeah, I even go to church every Sunday with my folks,” she said. “What about you?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m still questioning,” Yvonne replied deciding to avoid the subject that one of theirs teachers was an angel.
“Do you want to come to church with us? We attend services at St. Andrew’s Church, and I think it’d be fun. I can introduce you to the other kids in my class,” she said not noticing the wry smile on Yvonne’s face when she mentioned the name of her church. “They’re a pretty good crowd, and none of them go to school here.”
“What made you change your mind about me?”
“That lady from the school choir, there’s something weird about her. Anyway, she stopped us after you left, and said something that hit home.”
“What did she say?”
“She challenged us to go home and think of something nice to say about someone else,” Danielle said. “The pastor at my church said the same exact words last Sunday. I guess it made me realize how stupid I’ve been behaving.”
-*-*-*-
At the same undetectable distance the three angels watched as Danielle got up and started walking towards the parking lot. After a few minutes she turned back and waved to Yvonne. Tess nodded approvingly and turned to face the other two.
“Tess, is Yvonne going to be OK now?” Monica asked. “She has a friend now, isn’t that the important thing?”
“No, Angel Girl, I’m afraid it’s not that easy at all,” Tess replied sadly.
“Then what?” Monica asked.
“Danielle’s dying, Monica,” Andrew said softly. “She’s got Leukemia, but no one knows about it yet.”
Tess nodded, “Adam’s here, he’ll be paying Danielle a visit tonight.”
“So soon?” Monica asked.
“No, from what I understand, she’ll have some time, but he has a message for her, a message about Yvonne,” Tess replied.
“How will this help Yvonne?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know,” Tess replied. “Maybe you should be asking the Father and not me.”
Andrew nodded, and when his gaze fell on Yvonne, he knew that Tess was right.
It had been rather easy for Danielle to speak to her father that evening. She had gotten home and when she saw him on the sofa, she went over to him. “Daddy?”
“Honey, how was school today?” he asked.
“It was fine, where’s Mom?”
“She had to work late, she’s been trying to close a deal for a new building downtown,” he said and Danielle smiled. Her mother was an architect and was admired by just about everyone acquainted with their family for her hard work and her creative designs.
“I figured, but I need to talk to you about something really important,” Danielle said softly.
“What’s up?” he turned to face her, making sure he muted the volume on the television.
“Daddy, one of my friends at school has a sleeping disorder,” Danielle began. “I mean I think there’s something else going on with her, but I can’t tell for certain. One of the teachers said she had something called ‘Chronic Sleeping Syndrome’ or something like that.”
“It’s called ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’,” he corrected her.
“Yeah, that. Anyway, I don’t think her family can afford to send her to a doctor, and I was wondering if you could take her case,” Danielle asked. “I mean it’s pretty important, she feel asleep in the library today, and all the kids have been teasing her about it.”
“That sounds pretty tough,” he said.
“Yeah, and what’s worse, I teased her too,” she said softly.
“Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t realize that my words could hurt,” she said and glanced up towards the television. There right next to it, she saw a man standing beside it, he wore an off white suit and had short wavy hair. After some moments, she shook her head and turned back to face her father. “Daddy, do you think God would forgive me for picking on Yvonne so much?”
“I’m certain of it,” her father answered ruffling her hair. “Now you’re trying to make things right and for that, you should feel proud; not ashamed. Go get my appointment book, and we’ll set her an appointment, OK. It will have to be off the record, and I can’t give her medication, but I can at least put her fears to rest.”
The appointment book had been placed on top of the television next to where the man was standing, his kind eyes regarding her as she grabbed the book and tried to get back over to the sofa. As soon as she sat down again, she looked up and smiled weakly at him, all the while wondering if she was cracking up.
Once Franklin Jensen opened the notebook, he nodded. “I have a 15 minute slot for Thursday after school. How’s that? You bring her to my office. There’s a bus that runs to the building from your school. Can you handle that?”
“Yeah, I’m almost a teenager, Daddy.”
“I forget sometimes how little girls grow up so quickly,” he said.
“Thanks, and since I still have homework to do, I’ll leave you to watching TV,” she said smirking at him.
“Well, thank you, ‘Your Highness’,” he chided as she got up and walked towards the doorway leading down the hall to her room. “Don’t forget to brush your teeth,” he called out.
Danielle turned around to reply, but the man who had been in the living room was now standing next to her. She sighed deeply and walked into her room and closed the door. When she turned around, he was still standing there. She walked over to the radio and turned it on. When she had adjusted the volume, she spoke, her voice shaky. “Are you a figment of my imagination?”
“No,” the man spoke as he shook his head. “My name is Adam, I’m an angel, Danielle.”
“An angel?” She asked. “But, why are you here?”
“I’m an Angel of Death, and there really isn’t an easy way for me to tell you this, but, to simply say it. I’m here because you are dying,” he said softly.
“Excuse me?” She asked unable to believe his words. “But, I’m not even sick.”
“Sit down, we need to have a talk,” he said gently, and when he looked at her, she knew that he had to be speaking the truth. Once they were both seated, he looked at her, his eyes filled with sympathy. “Danielle, you are very sick, you have Leukemia.”
“But, I’ve never even been diagnosed with it. My dad is a doctor, how could I be sick?”
“One question at a time,” Adam said gently. “You should go and see a doctor, Danielle, and very soon. Your father wouldn’t be able to detect it in you unless he were to take a blood sample from you, which he couldn’t do,” he paused. “I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, and I didn’t mean to frighten you with it, but you needed to know.”
“Sure you didn’t,” she replied somewhat sarcastically. “What do you think? I mean, a guy in a suit straight out of ‘Fantasy Island’ shows up in my room and tells me I’m going to die.” She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. When she looked back up and could see him still seated next to her, she swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. Her voice suddenly lost its energy and he could barely hear her next words. “Of course I’m afraid. Adam, most people would be hysterical, wouldn’t they?”
The angel nodded.
“It doesn’t seem fair, does it?” she said softly. “I mean, I’m only 12 years old.”
“I’m sorry, Danielle,” Adam began. “I know this is hard for you, but you still have some time, and there is some unfinished business you need to attend before you go home.”
“Go home?” She asked.
“Before you go to Heaven,” he said softly.
“And I take it you can’t tell me what it is I have to do?” she asked.
“No,” came the simple answer, but he reached over and touched her cheek with his hand.
Upon feeling his touch, she looked at him and with all the sincerity she could possibly muster; she spoke. “Adam, I’m frightened.”
“I know you are. Put your trust in God, and know that he will be there for you through all of this,” he paused before he continued. “I know it’s hard, but don’t be afraid, Danielle, keep your faith that God will guide you, but, don’t ever forget, that if you need me, you can call on me. Even if you just want to talk, I’ll be there for you, I’ll always be there for you. OK?”
“A trusted friend, huh?” she whispered.
He smiled when he heard the sincerity in her words, but nodded.
She could see that deeply in his eyes, how much he really cared for her and she looked at him. “So, you’re here as my guide or something, right?”
“I guess you could say that,” he smiled.
“Would it be inappropriate for me to ask you to hold me?” she asked, her fear beginning to get the better of her. “I’m really scared.”
Rather than speak, he gathered her up in his arms and held her as she began to weep bitterly. “I never thought it would be me,” she cried as he rocked her gently in his arms. “Adam, what am I going to do? I can’t tell my parents, they either wouldn’t believe it or they would go nuts.”
“I know. Just go see the doctor, and find out what the prognosis is,” he said gently. “We usually don’t visit someone before the diagnosis is in, but in this case, there is something very important you have to do and this was the only way.”
Danielle nodded as though she understood, but as she sat wrapped in Adam’s arms, she found herself dozing off, and the next time she opened her eyes, it was morning, the sun was streaming through her window, and Adam was gone.
-*-*-*-
Three days later, as promised, Danielle told Yvonne that after school she had an appointment set with her father. The two girls met after school and got on a bus to go downtown to Franklin Jensen’s office. “Don’t worry about my dad, he’s really a pussycat, and I’ve heard from others that he’s good with patients, and I’m not just saying that cause he’s my dad.”
“I’m nervous,” Yvonne said.
“I know, doctors tend to make a lot of people nervous. I get nervous too,” Danielle said softly as they got off the bus. “To be totally honest, I’m pretty nervous right now, as well. I guess I have been for the last three days. It’s because I just learned that I’m very sick. My folks don’t know about it yet, and I beg you not to tell them. I have a feeling that very soon I will be inundated with drugs and doctors. It frightens me so much. Funny, I always thought my life was easy, now I know it’s about to get much harder.”
“What do you mean?” Yvonne asked.
“I’m dying, Yvonne,” Danielle said. “I was visited the other night by an angel. He told me that I would be going home very soon, his name is Adam and he’s an Angel of Death. Since then, I’ve read as many books about angels as I could find, but through it all, I never thought that I would actually meet one. He was tall and good-looking; I mean not what you think an angel of God would look like. He wore a beige suit and tie.” She giggled in spite of herself. “I compared him to that old show ‘Fantasy Island’, but in reality, he looked like a minister or something. It was weird, but while he held me, he said that I still have something I have to do before I go home. I don’t know what it is, though.”
“You met an angel and he told you this?”
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t, I never said it, or for that matter; even thought it, Danielle,” Yvonne said softly. “Aside from that, whether you believe me or not, I’ve also been visited by an angel, and as strange as it may sound, you know him as well.”
“Who is it?”
“Andrew, you know, our new History teacher,” Yvonne said. “He’s been helping me deal with the abuse…” her voice trailed and she slapped her hand over her mouth as she realized that she had just said too much. She looked down at her lap, her face flushing, and she was unable to look her friend in the eye.
“Abuse?” Danielle looked at her friend. “Please, Yvonne, tell me what has happened to you. I want to help if I can.” As much as she tried, Danielle could not conceal her horror when she heard what her friend had just let slip.
“My mother’s boyfriend has been sexually abusing me,” she looked at her friend. “Andrew came to help me cope with it. I’m his assignment, and I guess when it’s all over, he’ll disappear as well.”
“Then, I guess that means that you’re basically alone in all this, aren’t you?” Danielle asked. The two girls stopped walking and Danielle turned and faced her friend. “Then I think I know what Adam meant by ‘unfinished business’. Come on, we’re going to see Andrew. Maybe he can help us. I’ll call my dad, and we can reschedule your appointment.” She pulled a mobile phone from her backpack. “He gave me this last year, but it’s only for emergencies. If I used it for other stuff, I’d be in trouble.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s just because he and Mom are always working when I’m at school, but they also want to know if something comes up unexpectedly. So they got it for me with the stipulation that I only use it for emergencies. Besides that, these babies are pretty expensive and most of the kids at school would drive me nuts if they knew I had one,” she explained with a smile but dialed quickly.
When the line was picked up, she asked to speak to her father, and then within seconds, her father was on the line. “Dad, it’s Danielle. Something’s come up, we’re going back to the school and talk to one of the teachers there…”
“What’s up, Honey?” Yvonne could hear his voice through the line.
“It’s hard to explain, could you call Pastor Karl and schedule an appointment for us for tomorrow afternoon?” Danielle asked.
“This is about your friend, Yvonne, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but I’ll explain everything later, I promise,” Danielle said.
“OK, I’ll see you tonight, don’t be late,” he said. “Tell Yvonne to take care of herself, and I’ll see her tomorrow.”
“I won’t,” she said. “Thanks, Daddy, I love you.”
Once she hung up and returned the phone to her backpack, she could see that Yvonne was looking at her rather confused. “Danielle, what does all this mean?” she finally asked.
“Come on, I’ve still got some money left, we’ve got to get tickets for the bus and go back to the school before Andrew leaves,” Danielle said.
“Wait, he told me that if I needed him, that all I have to do is call him and he’ll come to me,” Yvonne said. “Maybe I should try.”
“OK, but let’s make ‘the call’ somewhere else. I know there’s a park not far from here, it’s a little more secluded than being out here. Besides, I really don’t like crowds all that much and it might cause some sort of riot if an angel appeared in the middle of it.”
Yvonne nodded and followed her friend in the direction of the park. A thousand different thoughts seemed to be spinning around in her mind; but the main one, was disbelief. Although she believed Danielle’s story about having seen an angel, she just couldn’t grasp the idea that someone as happy and as full of life as Danielle would be dying. As the two of them walked together, Yvonne’s thoughts began to center themselves on Danielle, rather than the complicating and turbulent circumstances she was forced to live under.
For the first time in a long time, Yvonne Hudson realized that there were actually people out there whose lot in life could be as bad if not worse than her own. Unfortunately, though she felt bad for her friend, her fears about her own situation were still there, and they were stronger than ever before, but her own internalized guilt seemed to foreshadow everything else. How could she even ask for help if her friend was faced with an illness and dying? It would be too selfish to unload this on Danielle, she thought to herself, and decided at that moment, that she would simply have to find a way to make the abuse as insignificant as she possibly could. In the back of her mind she wondered how much of this phony act Danielle would believe.
-*-*-*-
Ten minutes later, the two girls arrived at the park. “So do you need my phone?” Danielle chided trying to get Yvonne to smile.
“I don’t know, probably not,” Yvonne whispered, and it was obvious that she was nervous.
“Well, just say his name then, he should hear you,” Danielle said. “I mean, Adam said the same thing to me, if I needed him, I should just call out to him.”
Yvonne nodded and closed her eyes. “Andrew, I need to talk to you, please come find me,” Yvonne said softly. Within seconds, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. “You’re here?”
“Of course, I made a promise,” Andrew said gently and turned to face Danielle. “Hello Danielle.”
“Hi, Andrew,” she stammered and when she saw him in the same colors she had seen Adam wearing, she stepped back slightly, her nervousness evident.
“Don’t be afraid, I know Adam came to see you, he’s a friend of mine. Trust me, you’re in good hands,” Andrew said gently.
Danielle nodded, “I can’t forget, though.”
“I know, but you two girls are in a position where you will help each other through all of this,” he began.
Yvonne looked at him and then at Danielle. “Then what you told me about Adam was true? I mean I didn’t doubt you when you said you met him, but I guess I couldn’t believe that you were actually sick.”
Danielle nodded numbly, “I know, me neither, but yeah, it’s true.”
“I’ve never had any real friends,” Yvonne said softly. “And now that I find some, I learn that I’m going to loose them all.” She covered her face with her hands and shook her head helplessly. She sat down on a bench and tossed her backpack to the ground.
Danielle looked at Andrew. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told her.”
“No, she needed to know, and she would have eventually found out,” Andrew said gently.
“What am I supposed to do?” Danielle asked.
“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” Andrew replied as Yvonne looked up her face streaked with tears and she looked at Danielle.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I know I shouldn’t be so selfish, but I can’t help it, everyone I have ever loved has left me behind. My father left because he’s an alcoholic. I guess after the divorce, he felt lost and alone, and then when I told my mother about what had happened, she didn’t believe me.” She looked at Andrew, her face depicting the extent of her despair. “Why didn’t she believe me? What did I do that was so wrong that made her turn away from me when I needed her most?” Yvonne continued to cry. “I only want someone to tell me that I’m not at fault for all of this, that I didn’t cause it somehow.”
“You’re not and you didn’t,” Andrew said as he sat down next to her and rested his hand gently on her shoulder.
“We know it’s hard for you,” Danielle replied and looked at Andrew earnestly. “How are we going to get her out of this situation, Andrew?”
Andrew shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“I thought maybe the pastor at my church could help, and I asked my dad to call him, but I don’t know what he could do. I think we need even more help, but where can we get it? Adam said I don’t have much time. He didn’t say how much I had, but I somehow feel like my time is running out.” She looked at Andrew, but the angel did not confirm or deny her words, and she ended up squeezing her hands together nervously. “Andrew, please, tell us what we should do?”
“All you can do is turn this over to God,” he said simply.
“Yeah, I know, and believe me, I’ve prayed a lot since Adam came and told me that I was sick. But who can we go to that’s here, that can physically help Yvonne out of this situation now?” Danielle said softly. “There must be something we can do. I mean, I do believe in the power of prayer and all, but I also believe in reacting and trying. Let’s face it, God gives us a brain, and we use it solve our problems, but right now, I’m at a complete loss.”
Yvonne looked shamefaced at the two of them. Her thoughts were racing, and she finally looked at Danielle. “Maybe you should ask Adam what he thinks,” was all she said, but after some moments, the second girl shook her head.
“I don’t think that’s in his job description,” Danielle said softly.
Yvonne glanced over towards Andrew and shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to ask for his help, but didn’t know where to start. Finally, she spoke, her question emerging barely above a whisper. It was a question that had been on her mind since he had appeared in her bedroom after she had been abused. “I have a question, and I guess now is as good of a time to ask as any. Andrew, are you my guardian angel?”
“No, I’m not,” he said gently.
“I wish you were,” she said softly. “I was never really involved in church when I was little, it was after my parents divorced that I started attending church and got baptized, but nothing that I learned stuck with me. I was an outcast in the Sunday school class; I was alone much of the time. Then everything happened, Rick moved in, and everything turned upside down. I used to question why God made me this way, and why I must live with someone who hurts me. Now, I guess I deserve everything that happens to me. You know, the wrath of God and all those lessons from the church? This must be the reason; I’m an awful person. I wish you could make me not be such an appalling person.”
“You’re not awful or appalling,” Danielle offered weakly.
“I cannot change you, Yvonne, and I wouldn’t even want to. You must learn to love yourself, as God loves you. He would not punish you, but gives you the tools you need to grow from whatever you experience in life. You must never believe that He would turn away from you or that He is angry with you, because He’s not. You cannot be transformed from awful or appalling to good because like Danielle just said, you are neither of these.” He looked over at her, but when he saw her head was down, he took her chin in his hand and made her look deeply into his eyes. “Open your eyes and look at me. The truth is, you have to allow yourself the chance of accepting the person that you are. God didn’t just send me to you, Yvonne, he sent two other angels as well, and they, like me, care very deeply for you, as God does.”
“Two other angels?” Danielle asked with wide eyes.
“Yes.”
“Oh wow!” Danielle could not contain her awe as Andrew nodded. “Then, I’ll bet you one of them is that lady from the choir, the one that knocked a little sense in me the other day, oh what was her name?”
“Yes, you’re right, Danielle, her name is Tess,” he said.
“I knew there was something unusual about her,” Danielle said.
“But, I’m not worth it…” Yvonne whispered.
“God thinks you are, Yvonne,” Andrew said gently.
“But, how I can I get out of this situation at home?” she asked. “I mean, even if what you say is true, how can I go against my family?”
“You cannot go against your family, but you cannot continue to live as you have been,” Andrew began. “Yvonne, I’m going to tell you something that you need to hear. I am not a guardian angel; I am an Angel of Death. I take people home to God when their lives on Earth are through,” he began and looked at Danielle and answered her unasked question. “Yes, Danielle, I’m like Adam.”
“Am I going to die?” Yvonne asked her lips trembling and she looked at him, with fear in her expression. For the first time since this all started, she could understand the fear and uncertainty that Danielle was now living with.
“No,” he said gently and smiled. “It’s not yet your time, but unfortunately, there is a part of you that already has, in some ways, been killed. The abuse you have endured has robbed you of a part of your spirit, and we are here to make sure that you find it once again,” he explained. “Are you afraid of me though I’ve told you the truth about who I am?”
“I guess not, but I’m still scared of what’s going to happen to me. If my mother knew any of this, she’d kill me. She speaks endlessly about family loyalty, and even when I wanted to speak about what had happened to me, she made me so afraid that I couldn’t.”
“But, family loyalty goes both ways,” Danielle objected. “My parents are great, and though they work a lot and don’t always have time, they are there for me if I have a huge problem and need their help. I mean, they are as loyal to me as I am to them,” she paused looking at Andrew who sat and listened as she spoke her mind. “I know it says that we are supposed to ‘honor our parents’ like in the Ten Commandments, but shouldn’t our parents honor us as well, and make sure we, their children, don’t get hurt? I mean, I thought being a parent is supposed to be like a privilege, or an honor; not a reason to exploit or harm those they are supposed to protect,” Danielle continued, her voice becoming stronger indicating her anger.
“I’m scared,” Yvonne said softly. Though she could see the truth in her friend’s words, she was still worried about the situation she faced at home.
“I know,” Andrew said gently as Monica and Tess appeared next to them. He looked to Tess for some sort of guidance, and was happy when she offered it to the forlorn girl.
“We all know this, Yvonne, and we’re not just here to tell you that God loves you, and then take off,” Tess said causing both girls to turn abruptly around on the bench. “We’re here because we know you need our help. You need to live in a safe place, and be with people who care for you and who will not use you and cast you aside. We’re here to make sure you get that help.” She looked at Danielle and smiled approvingly down at her. “I think you have proven beyond any doubt that you’re a true friend, Danielle. God is proud of you.”
Yvonne looked at Tess, and then her gaze fell on Monica. “You’re all angels?”
“Yes,” Monica said gently.
“And you’re all here for me?”
“This should not be such a big surprise to you, Baby,” Tess said. “The road ahead is going to be rough, but God will be there for you if you put your trust in Him. For this reason, He sent us to help you through it.”
“Am I dreaming?” she asked.
“No, honey, you’re not, and we’re going to stay right here, just as I promised. You won’t be alone in this, your angels will be with you,” Andrew said softly.
“And for what it’s worth,” Danielle added. “I’ll be here as well. At least until…” her voice trailed off, but she suddenly felt Yvonne hugging her tightly.
“I’m counting on that,” she said, “and I’ll always do the same for you.”
Danielle nodded; she knew that this was something she would need more than anything else, the strength of a friend, even if at this moment, her friend was in her most vulnerable state.
“Andrew, you’re still there, aren’t you?” Yvonne whispered as she walked closer to the front door of the duplex where she lived.
“Yes, I’m here with you, we just got separated on the bus is all,” he said gently.
It had been about an hour since they had been at the park; Yvonne’s mind was racing as she got on the bus with him. He had changed, now he wore jeans and a beige sweater and it seemed as though he was now trying to work incognito. He no longer looked the part of an angel, but rather just a man, who was accompanying a young girl home from school. For some reason, Yvonne felt more comfortable with him when he looked like everyone else, maybe because it was more like he was her friend, and not an angel.
“You’re worried?” he said as she hesitated in front of the door.
“Yeah,“ she said softly.
“You know he won’t hurt you, not as long as I’m here,” Andrew said gently.
“I know, but…”
Andrew placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him. “You can’t run away from it. I’m here, and if he tries to hurt you again, then I will make sure he won’t ever contemplate it again.”
She nodded, and with trembling hands, she unlocked the door.
Inside the apartment, Rick was sitting in the living room, a cigarette casually in his hand, and his back to Yvonne. They could both see the ring of smoke circling above his head, and she led Andrew into the dining room and they sat down at the table.
“Do you want anything?” she asked.
“Just sit down,” he said gently, “try to relax, you look so tense.”
“I am tense,” she said. “Ever since he moved in here, I’ve not eaten, or had a good night’s sleep.”
Andrew turned and could see that Rick had stubbed out his cigarette and was making his way towards the dining room.
“What’s going on here?” he asked and looked to Yvonne for some answers.
“T-this is my…” the words got stuck in her throat.
“History teacher,” Andrew finished for her. “We’re going to be looking over Yvonne’s History Fair project this afternoon, that’s why I’m here. My name is Andrew.”
“Andrew what?” Rick said evenly.
“Listen Rick, Andrew’s my friend, and he’s helping me with some stuff. The reason I’m late is because I met him and another friend after school, and we were talking about some stuff,” Yvonne said, somehow she had found her voice again. She did not say anything to Andrew about being angry, but somehow he got the impression that she did not like her mother’s boyfriend meddling and she wanted him to go away.
“While your mother’s at work, I’m in charge around here, got that?” Rick said, “and your friend, didn’t answer my question.”
“He doesn’t have to, he’s not on trial,” Yvonne said nervously. “Please, Rick, just leave us alone, OK?”
“Your mother won’t be pleased with your attitude,” he said.
“And I’m sure you’re going to tell her, huh?” Yvonne said curtly, but before she could speak further, Andrew reached over and put his hand on her arm. When she looked over at him, she could see him shaking his head slightly. She looked down at her notebook unable to say anything.
Andrew looked up and spoke; “Actually, I wouldn’t say that Yvonne necessarily has an attitude, considering what she’s been through.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think you know perfectly well what I’m saying, Rick,” Andrew replied, his voice stronger and more certain than Yvonne had ever heard it.
“I want you out of here,” Rick snarled.
Andrew reached for Yvonne’s hand and stood up, “will you show me out, Yvonne?”
She looked down, but after a few seconds, she nodded weakly. He’s leaving; she swallowed; now I’m in for it. I shouldn’t have spoken to Rick this way, now it will go all the worse.
At the door, she glanced around and could see Rick keeping his distance. Andrew stood in the doorway and looked down into her frightened face. “I’m always with you, Yvonne, don’t forget, OK?” he whispered only loudly enough that she could hear.
“I shouldn’t have done that, Andrew, he’s going to take it out on me now,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Shhh, everything’s going to be OK,” he said, his voice filled with compassion. “Remember what I really am, Yvonne, I’m more than just a History teacher, I’m also your friend and I won’t leave you to fight this battle alone.”
Yvonne nodded and once he had walked through the door, she closed it behind him, her hand resting against the wood frame, her head down.
“Now then,” she could hear Rick’s voice, and she turned around to see that he had unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt.
Yvonne cowered in front of the door, and when she saw him coming closer, she curled herself up into a little ball, her fear evident and she trembled in fright. Getting her wits about her, she tried to crawl away from him, but as she did, everything went black, the ‘Chronic Fatigue’ had struck again, and when she woke again, she was lying on her bed and the room was empty.
What happened, she asked herself, as she sat up in her bed. When she looked over towards the window, she could see the same white light she had seen when Andrew had come to her the first day they met. Standing in this light was the young female angel, the pretty auburn headed lady. “What happened? Who are you?”
“My name is Monica. You passed out when Rick tried to hurt you,” she said. “Your mother came in after you fell asleep and saw Rick and what he was trying to do to you.” She shook her head sadly.
“Where’s Andrew?” Yvonne asked. “I thought he was going to be with me.”
“He came back to protect you, Yvonne,” Monica said gently. “But, what he saw hurt him so deeply, that he asked me to come see you and make sure you were OK. He feels guilty for what has happened, so much so that he cried.”
“But, it’s not his fault,” Yvonne said softly. “Please, I don’t know what to do, I want to see him.”
“It’s all out of your hands now, Yvonne. Franklin Jensen and his wife are going to take care of you, they will make sure Rick never hurts you again,” Monica said gently.
“You mean I will be staying with Danielle and her parents?”
Monica nodded, “you’ll be safe there, they will make sure of it.”
“What about my mother?”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to her, but you have to take care of yourself now, and you must believe that your mother will do the same for herself,” Monica said gently.
Yvonne nodded and crawled out of bed, her entire body felt tense and sore, and she was dizzy. “Monica, how did I end up in here? The last thing I remember was being in the living room against a corner.”
“Adam was here, and he brought you to your room.”
“Danielle’s angel was here?” Yvonne asked.
Monica nodded, “he’s dressed as one of the policemen. Anyway, he kind of acts as Andrew’s stand-in when Andrew can’t fulfill what he needs to. Adam knew that you needed a lot of extra help, so he was happy to help you, just as Andrew is trying to help Danielle.”
“She’s really going to die, isn’t she?” Yvonne asked.
Monica nodded sadly. “I know this is hard for you.”
“When all this is over, you’re going to be gone, Andrew’s going to be gone,” she began to cry in earnest. “What am I going to do then?”
“Turn over all your troubles to God, Yvonne, He’s there for you, and won’t let you fall,” Monica said gently, she squeezed the hand of the young girl. “Your days of being a victim are over, you now must begin to heal.”
Within seconds, a knock was on Yvonne’s door, and when she glanced up she realized